BMW may have lost lead designer Chris Bangle but they have definitely

ake a look at the 2010 5 BMW Series Gran Turismo and decide for yourself BMW has moved forward or returned to their olden ways of producing one-design cars in all sizes. For sure, the 2010 5 BMW Series Gran Turismo got most tongues wagging when it was seen in Geneva.

The 2010 5 BMW Series Gran Turismo is powered by a 3.0-Liter 535i engine producing 306 horsepower. There’s also the 4.4-Liter V8 550i engine producing 407 horsepower. And then there’s the 3.0-Liter diesel engine producing 245 horsepower with an amazing 173 grams per kilometer CO2 emission. It has frameless windows with the trademark BMW kidney grille.

There are rumors that the 2010 5 BMW Series Gran Turismo 550i will make it to the United States first with a price tag of $70,000. The 2010 5 BMW Series Gran Turismo makes use of the popular LED technology. Inside the car is luxury personified with lots of legroom and headroom.

In 1986 Acura entered the American market

In 1986 Acura entered the American market, becoming the first Japanese company to sell luxury-performance cars in the United States. Twenty-one years later, it is still offering high-quality high-performance vehicles at reasonable prices.

Acura's two decades (so far) have been packed with innovation, and it began with the Acura Legend. A year later, in 1987 the newly-introduced Legend Coupe was the first of its make to offer an air bag. Another year later, the sedan version became the best-selling luxury import car, and Acura the top luxury import line, in the US.

The trend of excellence and innovation continued through the 1990s which saw the introduction of the 3- and 5-door versions of the Integra, as well as the all-aluminum NSX. Later, Motor Trend would call the 1991 NSX sport coupe the "best sports car ever built."

Throughout the 1990's, Acura expanded its line, introducing the RL in 1996 and the TL in 1998. Two years later, the MDX - a mid-sized SUV - was added to the line, and it was hailed by both Car and Driver and Motor Trend as the SUV of the year. 2001 saw the Integra replaced by the new RSX sports coupe, and 2003 gave us the TSX and the updated, and bluetooth equipped, TL as well.

Acura continues to offer technological advances, including the first North American traffic system, and state of the art all-wheel drive systems. The RDX has merged the style of a sedan and the flexibility of an SUV into a model that some call a Crossover Utility Vehicle, though Acura refers to it as an Urban Adventure Vehicle. Whatever name is given to it, however, it is clear that for Acura, the adventure in luxurious, comfort-filled cars, is just beginning.

2009-BMW-Z4

The 2009 BMW Z4 is completely redesigned, now a roadster only, with a look that is lean, mean and sophisticatedly elegant at the same time. The newest version of the Z4 is slightly larger than previously, and with more storage space. It introduces an aluminum convertible top that does a better job of keeping out the weather and folds into the trunk in 20 seconds, as well as reducing blind spots and greatly increasing the size of the rear window.

The Z4 is the direct descendant of the famous Z3 and competes with other foreign sports cars such as the Audi TT, Infiniti G, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Nissan Z, Porsche Boxter and Mercedes-Benz SLK. American competition, if you can call it that, includes such vehicles as the Chrysler Crossfire, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky.

The Z4 comes in two trims: the Z4 sDrive 30i and the Z4 sDrive 35i, both with rear-wheel drive. The 30i has a 3.0 liter, 255 horsepower V6 gasoline engine with a special six-speed manual transmission that has a shorter - thus faster - gearshift than other BMWs.

The 35i has a 3.0 liter, 300 horsepower turbocharged V6 gasoline engine. It offers a choice of the same transmission as the 30i or a six-speed automatic. Either transmission can be shifted manually with paddles on the steering wheel. Finally, the 35i offers a seven-speed dual clutch transmission that can reportedly take you from 0 to 60 in five seconds. The 30i has pretty good horsepower for a small sports car, and the 35i is excellent. Mileage figures are not available for the Z4.

NHTSA and IIHS ratings are also unavailable for the 2009, and the changes from 2008 make previous ratings less than useful. The Z4 comes standard with antilock brakes with electronic braking assistance, traction control and vehicle stability control system, keyless remote entry and a trunk safety latch.

Like other small, luxury sports cars, the Z4 is somewhat hard to classify as the common classes are any one of those - small, luxury or sports. How well it performs and whether it's a bargain depend on how you look at it.

The base price for the 2009 BMW Z4 30i is $45,750 which compares well to the similar Audi TTS. The 35i, a bit snazzier little car, is also a little more expensive, coming in with a base price of $51,650. In today's economy those prices might be a little hard to swallow, but even in a downtrend you get what you pay for. And with BMW what you pay for is always first rate.

VW Scirocco R with 265HP 2.0 TSI: Official Photos and Details

The high-performance 'R' version of the Scirocco that was previewed as a concept study at last year's Bologna Motor Show has finally been revealed in production form. The new Scirocco R is powered by a reworked version of the previous Golf GTI V's 2.0-liter engine boasting a higher pressure turbocharger as well as other modifications such as new intercooler that help boost output to 265HP and 350Nm or 258.2-lbs/ft of torque. The reason why VW chose the older generation 'EA113' four-pot over the Golf GTI VI's newer 2.0 TSI codenamed 'EA888' is said to concern the lower development costs.